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Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was founded as the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs in 1594 by King Петар I the Unifier as a merger between the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Slovenia, and the Kingdom of Croatia. Its official name was changed to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by King Петар I on July 7, 1600. It is ruled by the House of Карађорђевић, previously the ruling house of the Kingdom of Serbia. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia is home to a patchwork of ethnic groups with cultures that vary greatly between different regions. The contrast between the cultures of the different ethnic groups has led to ethnic tensions and insurgencies within some areas of the country. The Yugoslavian military is primarily engaged with putting down insurgencies within the country, rather than focusing outward towards securing the country's borders. The Yugoslav economy is dominated by agriculture, with over 75% of its population working in some agrarian occupation, aided by the region's warm climate. The other 25% is almost unanimously engaged in mercantile pursuits, trading goods and commodities with neighboring countries. As a result of its primarily agrarian economy, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia is rather poor compared to its European neighbors. Formation The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was formed in 1594, after King Петар I of Serbia invaded and vassilszed the neighboring Kingdom of Bosnia and Herzegovina the previous year. Seeing Serbia's rapid rise to power, King Mihalović III of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia proposed unification with Serbia on January 17, 1594 under the banner of the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. A committee was convened by the three states to negotiate the terms of unification. What resulted was the January 20 Accord, which borne two main conditions: First, that the kings of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia-Slavonia would execute their powers jointly, and second, that legislative power be vested in an elected parliament, able to be dissolved only through the consent of all three kings. These conditions displeased Петар I, however, on January 27, 1594, he approved the January 20 Accord, under threat of forced abdication from his cabinet. In May of 1600, almost 6 and a half years after the creation of the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, Петар I exacted his revenge for the January 20 Accord. On May 28, Петар I had the King of Bosnia and Herzegovina assassinated in an attempt to seize power. In the interest of his life and liberty, King Mihalović III of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia abdicated the following day, leaving Петар I the sole living and present ruler of the Kingdom. The next week, he dissolved the elected Parliament, opting to convene a cabinet instead. On July 7, 1600, he officially cast off any notions of having a unified kingdom, renaming his lands to the Kingdom of Југославија (meaning the Kingdom of South Slavs). Ethnic Groups The Kingdom of Yugoslavia consists of several ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture. The largest ethnic group are the Serbs, followed by Croats, Slovenes, Bosniak Muslims, and an amalgamation of other minor ethnic groups. The great contrast between the various cultures of Yugoslavia have led to ethnic tensions, in particular between the Orthodox Serbs and Bosniak Muslims. Indeed, the pressure of these ethnic tensions has caused popular uprisings and civil unrest across the country, with the military occupied primarily with the containment of these uprisings, rather than the protection of the Yugoslav borders. The king has made his stance on the issue of ethnic tensions clear, claiming, "There are no Bosniaks. There are no Croats. There are no Slovenes. We are all slavs, or we are all dead." Economy The Yugoslav economy is primarily agrarian, with contributions from mercantile activity that occurs along the coast. The overall state of the economy is dismal, with most farmers in the infertile south engaging in sustenance farming, and farms in the more fertile north are owned primarily by individual farmers, and the large estates that do exist are owned almost exclusively by foreigners. Unfortunately, the north is often ravaged by dry seasons, decreasing crop harvest and overall profitability. In addition, the existence of the large, foreign-owned estates have been called into question by King Петар, who has declared a "war on the foreign imperialist estates," endangering one of the last profitable ventures in Yugoslavia. The small mercantile economy has not fared much better, having suffered from a lack of trade goods to sell, as well as a lack of ports to sell what few goods they have to areas further afield. However, the government has agreed to subsidize the industry, increasing its potential for profitability. King Петар I King Петар I is a nativist, xenophobic pariah that has actively harmed Yugoslavia during his tenure. He is far less focused on the creation of a functional state than he is on ensuring his next feast is an enjoyable one. His rule has seen the dissolution of a democratically elected Parliament, the failure of large, foreign estates, and popular uprisings across former Bosnia and Herzegovina. In essence, he is motivated by an urge to bleed Yugoslavia dry, and throw the husk to whoever is there to pick it up.